The Gift: A Someone Like You Futuretake
by KekahJ
Summary: This is my contribution to the Christmas Wishes compilation. It takes place after Someone Like You ends. Bella and Edward have their first Christmas together.


**A/N: This is my contribution to the Christmas Wishes compilation. It takes place after Someone Like You ends, so if you haven't read Someone Like You, you might want to read it first. :)**

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

The Gift: A Someone Like You Future-Take

by: KekahJ

"It's perfect, Alice," Bella said, stepping back to admire the huge tree. "Thanks for helping me pick it out. I know Edward's going to love it."

"Sure, Bella. Do you want me to stay and help you decorate it?" Alice asked as she fussed with a few stray branches.

Bella shook her head. "No, I want to do that on my own. Thanks anyway." It wasn't quite the truth, but Bella knew if she let Alice in on what she had planned, she'd never get her to leave.

"Okay then," Alice said, shrugging. "Well, I better get back home. I'm sure the kids will have Jasper tied up and gagged by now."

Bella laughed and the two girls hugged goodbye before Alice slipped through the front door. Bella felt a flutter of nervous anticipation as she looked around her. Alice was right. The tree was perfect. It stood almost majestically in the corner of the apartment. It was tall enough that the top bough nearly brushed the vaulted ceiling. The branches were lush and green, and already the scent of pine hung in the air. Next to the tree were the bags of lights and ornaments she and Alice had picked out to decorate the tree. Bella had been hesitant about what she viewed as an extravagant purchase, but Alice had convinced her that she and Edward needed ornaments on their tree to make their first Christmas together complete.

She sighed as she began to unravel the strands of lights from their packaging. It would have been much easier to purchase a pre-lit artificial tree, but both she and Alice had agreed that a real tree would be better. Instead of placing the lights on the tree, she spread them out on the floor near an outlet, checking to make sure they all worked, even though they were new. Despite what she'd told Alice, she had no plans to decorate the tree on her own. She'd wait for Edward to come home for that. She smiled to herself as the tiny white lights flickered on.

Bella's phone rang from the counter where she'd left it and she jumped up to answer it. It was Edward.

"What have you been up to all day?" he asked.

She smiled and leaned against the counter. "Not much. Alice and I did some shopping," she answered, smiling.

Edward groaned. "Bella, I warned you about shopping with my sister. She's dangerous."

Bella giggled. "I know, but it wasn't the kind of shopping you think. We bought a Christmas tree."

"Really?" Edward responded.

Bella hummed in response. "And I thought you and I could decorate it tonight when you get home. It is our first Christmas together, after all."

Edward was silent for a moment. Then he said, "I'd like that very much, Bella. I'm off in about an hour. Should I pick up something for dinner?"

Bella shook her head, even though he couldn't see her. "Nope. I've got it all taken care of. Just come home."

"Okay…" Edward said, his voice hesitant and slightly suspicious. "If you say so." They'd lived together long enough by now for Edward to know Bella didn't cook.

Bella laughed, "I do say so, Mr. Cullen. See you in an hour."

With that, the pair hung up and Bella set the phone back on the counter. She sighed, nervous energy running through her once more. She opened the refrigerator. Inside were the boxes she and Alice had carefully placed there earlier. They were cold now, so she switched the oven on before removing them from the fridge.

She pulled two large plates from the cupboard and began to scoop food onto each of them. She placed them on the top rack of the oven and closed the door before checking her watch. She had just enough time to shower before Edward arrived.

Thirty minutes later Bella felt clean and fresh. She rubbed her wet head with her towel as she stepped out into the hallway again. The smell of fresh pine was muted now, replaced now by the warm smell of Italian food. Bella stepped into the kitchen and pulled the oven open. She smiled as she watched the cheese bubbling on the plates. She turned the oven off, but left the plates in the oven so they'd stay warm until Edward arrived.

She returned to the bedroom to get dressed, pulling a warm sweater over her head and brushing her hair out straight to let it air dry. She pulled a chair into their closet and climbed up on it. Standing on her tip toes, she reached into the back corner of the highest shelf, smiling as her fingers closed around the tiny box she'd hidden there a few days ago. Carefully she climbed down off the chair, clutching the box in her hand. She smiled as she gazed at down at the tiny box. It was so small, yet it meant so much. Returning to the living room, she took a calming breath and placed it deep in the middle of the tree. She stepped back and circled the tree to make sure it couldn't be seen from any angle so Edward wouldn't find it before she wanted him to. She smiled to herself and stepped away from the tree. Bella was just switching on the fireplace when she heard Edward's key turn in the lock. Anticipation coursed through her and she grinned.

"I'm home! Bella!" he called. Bella ran in her stocking feet to greet him. She threw herself into his arms, kissing him. "Wow. Hi baby," he said, laughing as he ran his hands through her still damp hair. "I love this kind of greeting."

Bella giggled and pulled away from him slightly. "Want to see our tree?" she asked excitedly.

"Of course," Edward chuckled as Bella pulled him into the living room. "Wow," he said again, looking the tree up and down. "It's beautiful."

Bella clapped her hands enthusiastically. "Do you like it? Wait until we get the decorations on it. I think you're going to love them." Bella was practically dancing around the living room and Edward laughed, clearly amused by her exuberance.

He watched her for a moment, then lifted his nose into the air, inhaling deeply. "What is that smell? It's divine?" he asked.

"Dinner," Bella answered. "It's all ready. We'll eat first and then decorate."

Bella went to the kitchen as Edward went to the bedroom to change clothes. They met back in the living room where Bella had turned the coffee table into a make shift dining table. They had a perfectly good dining table in the dining room, but she'd decided this would be more romantic and intimate. She'd thrown pillows down on the floor and dimmed the lights. Two long candles sat in silver holders in the middle of the table. Edward sat down, crossing his legs in front of him as he sank to the floor. Bella placed the still warm plate in front of him before sinking down in front of her own plate.

"This is lovely," he said, admiring her handiwork with the table. He picked up his fork absently as he examined his food. "Did you make this, Bella?" he asked. The smirk on his face told her that he already knew the answer to that question.

Bella rolled her eyes. "No. Alice and I picked it up today. It's cheese manicotti." She dropped her eyes to the table, wondering if he'd remember. "And I have mushroom ravioli."

Still oblivious, Edward continued to examine his food. "It smells fantastic. Where's it from?"

Bella paused for a moment, suddenly unsure. Would it mean anything to him, or had she exaggerated the significance of that day in her mind? "It's from La Bella Italia," she said softly, still unable to meet his gaze.

The room was dead silent for a moment. She heard him stir, but still he said nothing. Then she felt Edward's arms wrap around her from behind. "Oh Bella, you remembered," he whispered, nuzzling into her neck.

Bella smiled, relieved and pleased by his reaction. She tilted her head giving him better access to her neck. "The first restaurant where we ate together," she said. "You had the cheese manicotti and I had the mushroom ravioli."

Edward hummed into her neck. "It was when I first realized that you may have had feelings for me. You were driving me crazy. I couldn't stop thinking about you, but I thought it was just me. Then after that day, I began to hope that you felt the same way."

It was Bella's turn to hum her answer, eyes closed as she reveled in the feel of his arms wrapped securely around her, his lips on her neck. "It was when I realized that we had so much in common. We were both so unhappy, both so desperate to change our lives."

"We were just waiting to find each other," Edward murmured. They were both silent for a moment, lost in their own thoughts and memories about the beginning of their life together. Everything had been so complicated. Looking back now, Bella couldn't believe they'd actually managed to be together. After a moment, Edward spoke. His voice was subdued. "Bella, I can't believe you remembered that restaurant and even the food we ate. Thank you. This is amazing."

Bella twisted her head around and found his lips. "You're welcome. Should we eat while it's still hot?" she asked, grinning up at him.

Edward nodded, but instead of moving back to the opposite side of the table, he scooted back slightly, spreading his legs a little wider so that Bella could lean back against his chest. He moved his plate closer and alternatively took bites from his plate and fed Bella bites from hers.

They didn't talk much, just enjoyed each other's company in silence for a while. Once the plates had been scraped clean, Edward leaned back against the couch, rubbing his stomach as he let out a puff of air.

"I'm stuffed. That was delicious."

"Me too," Bella said. She moved to collect the plates, but Edward put a hand on hers to stop her.

"Let me get those," he said, standing as he scooped up the plates. "You get the ornaments ready so we can decorate." He kissed the top of her head before disappearing into the kitchen.

A moment later, Edward returned, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. "Alright. Let's get started," he said, grinning at Bella. "What do you want me to do?"

"Well," Bella said, tapping her chin. "You can string those lights over there," she said, pointing to the lights she'd tested earlier.

Edward nodded and grabbed the lights. Bella moved to one of the bags full of ornaments. She smiled as she began unwrapping them. There were long, thin candy cane ornaments that Alice had picked out. There were spools of thick silvery ribbon with flecks of red that Alice had assured Bella would look beautiful wrapped around the tree. And then there were the glass bulbs that Bella had fallen in love with. They were huge and striped with red and frosted white glass. A stripe of silver ran across the middle of them and silver bows adorned their tops. Bella knew she had to have them as soon as she'd seen them. She couldn't wait to see how they looked once the lights of the tree hit them and shone through the frosted, translucent glass.

"Okay, what do you think?" Edward asked, stepping back from the tree. He'd finished stringing the lights and had even plugged them in. He grinned as he admired his own handiwork.

Bella nodded. "Perfect. Want to start on the ornaments?"

He nodded and the two began to hang the ornaments, each taking turns removing them from their boxes and placing them on the tree. "These are pretty, Bella. Did you pick these out?" Edward asked.

"Some of them. Alice helped, of course." The two exchanged a smile as they thought about Edward's sometimes overly exuberant sister. When all the boxes and bags had been emptied, they stood back to look at the tree. Edward wrapped his arm around Bella.

"It's beautiful. It's perfect for our first Christmas. Thank you," he said quietly as he kissed the top of her head.

Bella hummed contentedly as she snuggled in closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She rested her head against his chest for a moment, and then lifted her head. "Edward?" she asked, pulling away from him slightly as she stared intently at the tree. His response was muffled as he kissed her head again. "What is that?" She pointed to the tree and squinted as if trying to get a better look.

"What?" he asked, following her gaze.

"Right there." She pointed to a spot deep within the tree he hadn't noticed before. Her stomach flipped in nervous anticipation. This was the highlight of the entire evening that she had planned.

"What is that?" he asked, moving closer to the tree. "Where did you and Alice get this tree? That better not be some sort of wild animal…" he murmured.

Bella rolled her eyes at him and laughed. "It's not an animal. We got the tree from a tree lot. Trust me, it's fine. But just go see what that is."

Bravely, Edward reached his hand into the middle of the tree and pulled out the small box, a puzzled look spreading across his face. "What the…" he turned the box over in his hands, examining it carefully before looking up questioningly at Bella.

She practically vibrated with excitement. For a moment she didn't think she could speak. "Open it," she finally managed.

It seemed to take forever for his fingers to probe the tiny package and slide the cardboard apart. Once he did, he slid the contents out. It was tiny enough that it fit in the palm of his hand. It was a small, silver ornament shaped into a frame big enough to hold a little picture. He glanced up at Bella, still confused. She motioned for him to turn it around. He did and the lights from the tree glinted and reflected off of the silver of the frame. He stared at it for a moment and then gasped.

It was his turn to be completely speechless as he gazed at Bella, tears glistening in his eyes. "Bella," he finally choked.

Bella grinned and took the tiny ornament from his shaking hands. Even though she'd seen it at least a dozen times, she couldn't help looking at it one more time. In the spot meant to hold a photo, Bella had placed a small card where she'd written the words: "_Next Year Will Be Our.._." At the bottom of the frame three words were engraved into the silver in a small, looping script: "_Baby's First Christmas"._

"Does this mean…?" His voice was barely above a whisper and rough with emotion.

Bella nodded. "Yes," she whispered.

Tears streamed freely down his face as he pulled her to him, embracing her tightly. "Oh, Bella." His voice was almost reverent. He lifted her chin and kissed her deeply before dropping to his knees and placing his hands on either side of her tummy as he kissed her still flat belly. She giggled and ran her fingers through his hair. He looked up at her again, his eyes filled with wonder. "A baby," he murmured. "I'm going to be a father."

Bella nodded again, tears streaming down her own cheeks. "Are you happy?" she whispered.

"Am I happy?" Edward exclaimed. "Are you kidding me?"

Bella laughed, but then turned serious. "I know, but I just wanted to be sure. I mean," she paused and dropped her eyes, her face growing hot, then she blurted: "I know this isn't the first time you've received this kind of news, and I just—"

Edward cut her off. "Bella, don't be ridiculous. That was a totally different situation. I am ecstatic about this news. I couldn't be happier." He grinned up at her, and then his face grew serious again. "Have you been to the doctor? Which one? When are you due? How are you feeling?" He peppered her with rapid fire questions and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes, I've been to the doctor, but just my regular doctor. I was hoping that you'd help me pick an obstetrician. My general practitioner said I'm due sometime the beginning of July. He said the obstetrician will be able to give us an exact date. And…" she paused as she tried to remember his last question. "I'm feeling pretty good. Not too much morning sickness so far."

Edward grinned. "Oh, Bella. I am so excited. I know some great OB's. We'll go see all of them and you can choose the one you like the best. I can't believe this. This is amazing. I love you, I—" He stopped midsentence and jumped to his feet, eyes glinting in excitement. "Wait here. Don't move," he shouted as he ran down the hall.

Confused, Bella giggled, but obeyed. She was thrilled at his excitement over her news. A moment later, Edward was back. He grinned at her and dropped to his knees again. Only this time, he dropped to only one knee. Suddenly she noticed a small velvet box in his hand. Her heart leapt and she felt tears prick her eyes again.

"Edward what—" she began, but he cut her off.

"Bella, this wasn't how I was going to do this. I was going to plan something much more elaborate, but given the gift that you've given me tonight, I can't think of a better time than now." He opened the black box and pulled out a gleaming diamond ring. "Will you marry me, Bella Swan?"

Bella gasped and threw her hand over her mouth. "Edward, you don't have to do this. Just because I'm pregnant, doesn't mean we have to get married…"

Edward furrowed his brow and shook his head. "No, Bella, you don't understand. I was planning to do this anyway. You being pregnant has nothing to do with me wanting to marry you." He grinned. "It's just one more reason for me to want to, but that's not why I want to marry you. Would I already have the ring if I wasn't planning on proposing to you? Marry me, Bella. You're going to be the mother of my child, now be my wife."

Fears allayed, Bella grinned and held her finger out. "Yes," she said, tears streaming down her face as Edward slid the ring on her finger. He stood and took her in his arms again, twirling her around.

"I love you, Bella. Thank you. You've just made me the happiest man in the world. Twice."

"I love you too, Edward."

In one swift movement, he gathered her into his arms and carried her down the hall and into their bedroom. He laid her gently on the bed and began slowly removing her clothing, kissing her softly as he went. He paid special attention to her belly, taking a moment to rest his head against it as he sighed contentedly.

They made love and afterward Bella lay with her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat in the silence of the room. He sighed and she looked up at him and smiled.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked softly.

Edward sighed again and tightened his hold on her. "I was thinking about how different things are now."

"What do you mean?"

"Just how different it felt this time; learning that I was going to be a father, proposing. I…" he paused and then let out a deep breath. "I'm sure you don't want to hear this, I'm sorry."

Bella sat up enough to rest her chin on his chest. "No, no. I do. Please tell me."

Edward smiled and ran his fingers through Bella's long hair. He looked up at the ceiling and seemed to pause to gather his thoughts. He sighed again, and after a moment began to speak. "When I proposed to Tanya, it felt totally different than when I proposed to you. With Tanya, I did it because I felt like I had to. I felt like I owed it to her. She'd paid her dues, and I was obligated to marry her. I wasn't excited about it, I wasn't happy, I just…did it. Proposing to you was a totally different experience. I proposed to you because I am wholly and completely and unashamedly, madly in love with you." He stopped and grinned at her, leaning down to kiss her forehead before continuing. "When Tanya told me she was pregnant, it was the worst day of my life. And for a long time I felt awful for feeling that way. I was going to be a father, or so I thought, and that should have been the happiest news ever. But it wasn't. But this time, Bella, I can truly be happy about the fact that I'm going to be a dad. I have no misgivings, no regrets, nothing keeping me from being absolutely ecstatic. And if that weren't enough, you've made me even happier by agreeing to be my wife." He grabbed her left hand and kissed her finger just above her engagement ring. "Thank you."

Warm, sleepy, and comfortable, Bella settled down into the crook of Edward's arm. Suddenly, she was overcome with weariness. The shopping trip with Alice, the planning and scheming to surprise Edward, the surprise proposal, it all seemed to catch up with her at once. She couldn't keep her eyes open any longer, and she felt herself drifting to sleep. Her last thought before she succumbed to sleep in Edward's arms was how right Edward was. They'd come so far and been through so much to be together. Everything felt right. They were together and nothing would ever separate them. They were going to be a family.

**A/N: I hope you liked it! Thanks so much for reading. I hope to post some more SLY outtakes soon, so be on the look out for those. :)**


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